Alkene-nitrile-protein complex as a ruminant feed material

ABSTRACT

Improved protein feed material for ruminants which is resistant to digestive breakdown in the rumen but not in the abomasum and/or intestines which comprises the reaction product of a protein-containing feed material and an alkene nitrile. Exemplary of such alkene nitriles is acrylonitrile.

IJ'nited States Pate 1 [111 3,72,971 Miller Apr. W, 1973 [54] ALKENE-NITRILE-PROTEW 3,619,200 11/1971 Ferguson et a1. ..99 2 0 COMPLEX AS A RUMINANT FEED MATERIAL OTHER PUBLICATIONS Inventor: Robert E. Miller, Ballwin, Mo.

Assignee: Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo.

Filed: Oct. 27, 1970 Appl. No.: 84,476

U.S. Cl ..424/177, 99/2 R, 99/14, 260/1 12 R Int. Cl. ..A61k 21/00, A23k 1/18 Field of Search ..99/2 R, 2 N, 14, 99/17, 18; 260/1'12 R, 112 6,117,119,123,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 59, Par. 7721 (a), 1963, S. Morimoto et a1. Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 60, Par. 12166 (e), 1964, Toyo Spinning Co., Ltd.

Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 44, Par. 11009 (b), 1950, E. P. Kroger et al.

Primary ExaminerNorman Yudkoff Assistant Examiner-Kenneth P. Van Wyck Attorney-Lynden N. Goodwin, Neal E. Willis and James W. Williams, Jr.

ABSTRACT 2 Claims, No Drawings ALKENE-NITBILE-PROTEIN COMPLEX AS A RUMINANT FEED MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method for improving the feed utilization of ruminant animals. In a particular aspect this invention relates to a method for improving protein utilization in ruminant animals. In a further aspect this invention relates to modified protein feed compositions useful in ruminant nutrition which are resistant to digestive attack in the fluid medium of the rumen.

2. Description of the Prior Art The digestive system of the ruminant animal (cattle, sheep, bison, camels, etc.) is designed to permit efficient use of coarse, fibrous foodstuffs. Because of its particular structure and nature, however, the ruminants digestive system is inefficient in obtaining nutritional value from protein materials. Principally for this reason it is common practice in ruminant nutrition to supplement the diet of the animal with added protein. The supplemental protein serves to increase the rate of growth of the animal and in the case of sheep promotes wool growth.

The rumen, the largest of the four stomach compartments of the animal, serves as an important location for digestive breakdown of ingested foodstuffs cheifly through the action of microorganisms present therein. However, absoprtion of most nutrients for metabolic purposes does not occur in the rumen but takes place further along in the alimentary tract, principally in the abomasum and intestines. Ingested food is typically retained in the rumen for from about 12-30 hours during which time it is subject to digestive breakdown by the microorganisms and by the rumen fluid. Much ing'ested protein material is broken down in the rumen to Soluble peptides and amino acids. In turn much of these peptides and amino acids are utilized by the microorganisms present in the rumen fluid thereby removing them as a source of nutrition for the host animal.

Because of the desirability as indicated above of avoiding protein breakdown in the rumen in order to permit absorption in the abomasum and intestines it has been suggested that nutrient protein-containing materials fed to ruminants be treated so as to permit passage without digestive breakdown through the rumen to the abomasum. Suggested procedures have included coating the protein material, for example, with fats and vegetable oils, heat treatment of the protein material and reaction of the protein material with formaldehyde. In any event the treated material must be resistant to digestive breakdown in the rumen fluid, which is a fluid buffered at about pI-l6-7 by phosphate-bicarbonate from saliva and carbon dioxide, but subject to breakdown in the acid medium of the fluid of the abomasum which has a pH, due principally to hydrochloric acid secretion, of about 2-4.

OBJECTS It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the feed utilization of ruminant animals.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the protein utilization of ruminant animals whereby protein passes through the rumen without substantial digestive breakdown.

Other objects and advantages of the present inven-- -tion will be apparent from the specification and ap pended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found in accordance with the present invention that the protein utilization of the ruminant animal is improved by feeding the animal a reaction product of a protein-containing nutrient material and an alkene nitrile.

The amount of alkene nitrile in the reaction product is sufficient to prevent substantial digestive breakdown in the fluid medium of the rumen but insufficient to 4 prevent digestive breakdown in the fluid media of the abomasum and of the intestines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION present invention wherein R is hydrogen or lower alkyl, for example, methyl, ethyl, and propyl. Suitable alkene nitriles include acrylonitrile, methylacrylonitrile, propylacrylonitrile, and the like. Because of its effectiveness and ready availability, acrylonitrile is preferred for use in the present invention.

The protein-containing nutrient material can be from any suitable source including animal, plant, or synthetic sources such as, for example, silage, grains, nuts, chaffs, casein, soy bean meal, fish meal, peanut meal, beef scraps, pork scraps, linseed meal, milk solids, etc.

The useful reaction products of the present invention are prepared by the interaction of alkene nitrile and protein nutrient material by any suitable procedure. The reaction is readily carried out in a suitable solvent medium inert to the reactants and the reaction products. Such suitable inert solvents include water, preferably at pH9-12, and organic bases such as triethylenediamine. The reaction may be carried out at any suitable temperature, however, elevated temperatures above about C particularly for extended periods should be avoided to minimize degradation of protein material. Temperatures in the range of from about 10 to about 40C are typically employed with room temperature being both suitable and practical. The reaction is preferably carried out by dissolving the casein in 2.0M potassium hydroxide (pH 10-12), adding the reactant to the protein solution and agitating, as by stirring, to permit sufficient reaction of the protein with the alkene nitrile. The treated casein is precipitated from solution by adjusting pH to 2.5-3.2. The thus treated protein is then filtered, dried as by oven drying, drum drying, or simple evaporation to recover the modified protein nutrient material.

It is important in order to insure operability of the present invention that the amount of alkene nitrile incorporated into the protein be sufficient to prevent digestive breakdown to soluble peptides and amino acids in the rumen but insufficient to prevent digestive breakdown to soluble peptides and amino acids in the abomasum and intestines. This amount will, of course, vary and will depend among other things on the particular protein material, the particular alkene nitrile of choice, the pH of the solvent of reaction, time and temperature of reaction, the species and age of the animal, and the total makeup of the animal diet. Typically an amount in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05 mole of alkene nitrile for each gram of protein contained in the protein material is employed.

It is to be understood that the modified ruminant .protein feed of the present invention can be fed separately to the animal or it can be used for incorporation in other ruminant feed materials. Illustrative of ruminant feed materials in which the protein material of the present invention may be incorporated are soy bean meal, ground corn, hay, straw, cotton seed hulls, cotton mill waste, feed pulp, silage, oats, barley, cereal, brans, cereal middlings and combinations thereof. If desired other components, for example, minerals, such as bone meal, salt, and trace minerals, antibiotics and vitamins may be included in the animal feed ration.

The following examples illustrate the effectiveness of alkene nitrile compositions useful in the present invention in protecting protein-containing material from digestion in the fluid of the rumen while permitting digestion in the fluids of the abomasum and intestines. The small scale in vitro experiments shown in the examples simulate conditions existing in the rumen, in the abomasum and in the intestines thereby permitting the study of treated protein without the use of the live animal and large quantities of feed materials. It is understood that the examples are presented for the purpose of illustration only and the invention is not limited to the compositions or methods shown therein.

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of Treated Protein Casein (5.25 grams) was dissolved in a solution of acrylonitrile (2.37 grams) in aqueous potassium hydroxide (40 milliliters at pHl 1.7). The resulting mixture was stirred for about 6 hours ar room temperature to permit reaction of the acrylonitrile with the casein. The treated casein is precipitated from solution by adjusting pH to 2.5-2.8. The precipitate is filtered, washed and dried to obtain protein product containing 0.0188 mole of acrylonitrile per gram of casein. Rumen Digestion Test To 10 milliliters of rumen fluid from fasted sheep contained in a 50 milliliter glass flask was added 10 milliliters of a buffered solution of the following composition.

Buffer Solution in Grams Per Liter NtlH PO .316 xrnpo. .152 NaHCO 2.260 KCl .375 M so. .1 12 NaCl .375 cm, .038 Fcso.-71-1,o .oos Mnso, .004 znsonrno .004 cuso,-51-1,o .002 CoCl, .001

The resulting mixture was adjusted to pI-I6.8 (4N hydrochloric acid). To the buffered rumen fluid was added milligrams of the acrylonitrile treated protein prepared above. The flask was then purged with nitrogen, stoppered (pressure release valve) and heated at 38C on a water shaker bath. Protection of protein from digestion was determined by ammonia production with a lower amount of ammonia production indicating a lower amount of digestion of protein. Ammonia production was determined after 6 hours and after 24 hours with results being presented in Table l. Abomasum Digestion Test Gastric fluid was prepared as follows: NaCl (2 grams) was dissolved in sufficient water to give a total volume of 950 milliliters. Pepsin (3.2 grams) was added thereto. Concentrated hydrochloric acid (7 milliliters) was added to the resulting medium and the pH of the medium was then adjusted to 2.0 with aqueous sodium hydroxide.

To a glass flask containing 20 milliliters of the gastric fluid were added 60 milligrams of acrylonitrile treated casein prepared above. The glass flask containing the resulting mixture was stoppered with pressure release valves and heated at 38C on a water shaker bath for 2 hours. Digestion of protein was then determined by ammonia analysis, the greater amount of ammonia produced the greater the amount of protein digested. The results are given in Table l.

Intestine Digestion Test Intestinal fluid was prepared as follows: NaCl (2 grams) was dissolved in sufficient water to give a total volume of 950 milliliter. Pepsin (3.2 grams) was added thereto. Concentrated hydrocloric acid (7 milliliters) was added to the medium and the pH of the medium was then adjusted to 7.0 with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide. Pancreatin (10 milligrams per milliliter of medium) was added to the resulting medium.

To a glass flask containing 20 milliliters of the intestinal fluid were added 60 milligrams of acrylonitrile treated casein prepared above. The glass flask was stoppered with pressure release valves and heated at 38C on a water shaker bath, for the prescribed period of time. Digestion of protein was determined by ammonia analysis, the greater amount of ammonia produced the greater amount of protein digested. The results are given in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Total Protein Digested Ammonia N Ammonia N Ammonia N Rumen Abomasum Intestine 6 hrs. 24 hrs. 2 hrs. 4 hrs. 20 hrs. "'25 38 34 91 106 Due at least in part to decomposition of rumen microorganisms.

EXAMPLE 2 Methylacrylonitrile treated casein containing 0.02 mole methylacrylonitrile per gram of protein is resistant to digestion in the rumen but is readily digested in the abomasum and intestines.

Since many embodiments of this invention may be made and since many changes may be made in the embodiments described, the foregoing is to be interpreted as illustrative only and the invention is defined by the claims appended heretoQ I claim:

l. A method for improving the protein utilization of ruminant animals which comprises feeding the ruminant animal a complex of a protein-containing nutrient feed material selected from the group consisting of silage, grain, nuts, chaffs, casein, soybean meal, fish meal, peanut meal, beef scraps, pork scraps, linseed meal and milk solids and an alkene nitrile of the formu- 

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alkene nitrile is acrylonitrile. 